Random Running Questions

Zipppy

As I've mentioned before I'm easing myself back into running following a 6 month surgical layoff...I'm getting there but its tough..worst part at this stage is tightening in my calf muscles (breathing and legs seem ok)
Any options to help out my calf muscles as they relearn how to run?

Goose76

Is there any benefit to running in scenarios where you find it harder?

for example, I always find running much easier after work (evening) compared to before work (morning). I guess I'm just much more physically loosened up and mentally focused after a day's work. I can run for longer with perceived less effort.

Question is, would it benefit my stamina and fitness (and maybe mental strength too) to switch my running to the mornings, where I find it harder?

It certainly saves me time in my day to do it before work so am curious. Thank you

hot buttered scones

Goose76 wrote: »

Is there any benefit to running in scenarios where you find it harder?

for example, I always find running much easier after work (evening) compared to before work (morning). I guess I'm just much more physically loosened up and mentally focused after a day's work. I can run for longer with perceived less effort.

Question is, would it benefit my stamina and fitness (and maybe mental strength too) to switch my running to the mornings, where I find it harder?

It certainly saves me time in my day to do it before work so am curious. Thank you

I don't know about any benefits, but you just get used to it. It's great in the spring/summer when it's bright and a great way to start the day, but it can be tough enough getting out the door in midwinter when it's fairly bleak outside. Sometimes I find it's hard to get the body going in the early mornings though - the effort feels greater, but the HR data will tell a different story. I do find I'm a lot more alert and awake when I go out in the morning. If we get a warm summer, it's a lot better to go in the morning when it's a bit cooler. I also prefer to do long runs in the morning, or else they take up the whole day. Sometimes I still don't like getting up an hour or two (and sometimes more!) earlier than normal to run, but I always feel way better if I do.

Enduro

Goose76 wrote: »

Is there any benefit to running in scenarios where you find it harder?

for example, I always find running much easier after work (evening) compared to before work (morning). I guess I'm just much more physically loosened up and mentally focused after a day's work. I can run for longer with perceived less effort.

Question is, would it benefit my stamina and fitness (and maybe mental strength too) to switch my running to the mornings, where I find it harder?

It certainly saves me time in my day to do it before work so am curious. Thank you

Well, if you were going to be racing in an event that had a morning start there would be an obvious benefit. It should also benefit your mental strength to take out time of day as a factor in your performance. The less self-justified excuses for under performing the better (we all have them!)

Phoebas

Does anyone have opinions about running twice a day?

I'm heading into a training cycle in preparation for the Berlin marathon in September and I'd be intending to run 5, maybe 6 days a week. But that can be logistically difficult due to work and family commitments etc, so on some days I could do some of the easy miles before work and then run again in the evening.

I'm wondering if there are downsides to this in terms of recovery time or just general inneficiency?

RayCun

Nothing wrong with running doubles, but it's usually something you do as well as running every day, not instead of.

Lazare

Want to get up to in and around 40 mpw asap. Currently averaging way less than that, around 8. Was up there six months ago.

Do I need to follow the 10% rule or can I increase at a faster rate than that given it was in the legs recently?

Will be pretty much exclusively easy stuff.

TFBubendorfer

Phoebas wrote: »

Does anyone have opinions about running twice a day?

I'm heading into a training cycle in preparation for the Berlin marathon in September and I'd be intending to run 5, maybe 6 days a week. But that can be logistically difficult due to work and family commitments etc, so on some days I could do some of the easy miles before work and then run again in the evening.

I'm wondering if there are downsides to this in terms of recovery time or just general inneficiency?

Running singles gives a greater training effect than the same number of miles in doubles.

Therefore, strictly for training purposes it only makes sense to run doubles once you have reached the point where single runs are getting so long you get diminishing returns. Where that threshold lies is different for each individual, but the vast majority of runners are running way less than that. For example in my case, that point seems to be at around 80-85 miles per week.

However, it might be different when looking at other influences, e.g. it might make things easier if you run to and from work, getting your commute and training done in one go. In that case running doubles makes perfect sense.

TFBubendorfer

Lazare wrote: »

Want to get up to in and around 40 mpw asap. Currently averaging way less than that, around 8. Was up there six months ago.

Do I need to follow the 10% rule or can I increase at a faster rate than that given it was in the legs recently?

Will be pretty much exclusively easy stuff.

The 10% rule is mostly mythical.

E.g. if you're running 20 mpw then you can clearly increase the mileage by more than 2 miles per week.

A better rule of thumb is Daniels' suggestion to increase the mileage by no more than the number of days you run per week. I.e. if you run 4 times a week then you can increase the mileage by 4 miles, irrespective of the actual number.

RayCun

Also, I think Magness says if you have been running X number of miles a week for a while, then stop because of injury/illness/end of season break/... , you should be able to go back to X miles a week within a couple of weeks. You have to be more careful when you are breaking new ground.

Spirogyra

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Krusty_Clown

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Change in your pocket?

TFBubendorfer

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Does it hurt? No? Then don't worry about it.

The Black Oil

I'm thinking of a 10k in a few weeks, not 100% certain on it yet. What's the best way to keep myself ticking over before hand? Haven't run since Connemarathon and taking this week off too.

Baby75

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Is it coming from the hip? mine clicks when I do certain exercises and when I asked our the instructor it can be caused by escaping gasses from the joint

davedanon

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

My hip clicks too. And you should hear what emanates from my knees when I bend down/stand up.

Spirogyra

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Does it hurt? No? Then don't worry about it.

Hurts a teeny bit..but unless did a lot of them entirely bearable

Spirogyra

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Does it hurt? No? Then don't worry about it.

Hurts a teeny bit..but unless did a lot of them entirely bearable

Spirogyra

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Spirogyra wrote: »

A click when I swing one leg sideways but not the other, any ideas as to what this is ?

Does it hurt? No? Then don't worry about it.

Hurts a teeny bit..but unless did a lot of them entirely bearable

BeepBeep67

davedanon wrote: »

My hip clicks too. And you should hear what emanates from my knees when I bend down/stand up.

I sound like the intro to a Flying Pickets song when I get out bed in the mornings!

davedanon

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

I sound like the intro to a Flying Pickets song when I get out bed in the mornings!

When I do a warm-up I sound like the Gypsy Kings!

Goose76

What speed should intervals (i.e: one (or two) minute fast / one (or two) minute slow type stuff) be done at? I mean for the fast minutes - what pace should I be reaching?

I usually run my tempos at 10k pace which for me is around 5'34 per min km.

Should interval pace be substantially faster than this? Is it ever a good idea to train at faster than race pace?

RayCun

Goose76 wrote: »

What speed should intervals (i.e: one (or two) minute fast / one (or two) minute slow type stuff) be done at? I mean for the fast minutes - what pace should I be reaching?

It depends on the goal and the number of intervals but, more often than not, 5k pace.

BeepBeep67

Goose76 wrote: »

What speed should intervals (i.e: one (or two) minute fast / one (or two) minute slow type stuff) be done at? I mean for the fast minutes - what pace should I be reaching?

I usually run my tempos at 10k pace which for me is around 5'34 per min km.

Should interval pace be substantially faster than this? Is it ever a good idea to train at faster than race pace?

1st you need to ask what are you trying to target in a particular session.
A session can be amended by 1) the duration of the interval, 2) the duration of the recovery, 3) the quantity and 4) the pace.

Down South

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

1st you need to ask what are you trying to target in a particular session.
A session can be amended by 1) the duration of the interval, 2) the duration of the recovery, 3) the quantity and 4) the pace.

Ive read a bit about this but still get confused. Is it as simple as increasing the pace for improved speed (and adjusting distance accordingly) and quantity and/or recovery for endurance?

BeepBeep67

Down South wrote: »

Ive read a bit about this but still get confused. Is it as simple as increasing the pace for improved speed (and adjusting distance accordingly) and quantity and/or recovery for endurance?

Speed needs to be relevant to your event.

Guessing that most here are thinking of speed in terms of 5k to HM and not 100m / 200m which are 2 completely different approaches.

So what you are typically trying to address is not speed but speed endurance.

If I could only do one session, I would pick a threshold session and progress to 30-36mins continuous over a cycle, 2nd I would add form work, strides, short hill bounds, plyo type work and finally I would add intervals, which should be specific to your target distance, example for 5k start off with 12 x 400 and build up to 3-4 x 1mile all at race pace over a 6 week period, something like this.

12 x 400m with 60 secs jog rec
8 x 600m with 75 secs jog rec
6 x 800m with 90 secs jog rec
4-6 x 1000m with 2 mins jog rec
4-5 x 1200m with 2.5 mins jog rec
2-4 x 1600m with 3 mins jog rec

Down South

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Speed needs to be relevant to your event.

Guessing that most here are thinking of speed in terms of 5k to HM and not 100m / 200m which are 2 completely different approaches.

So what you are typically trying to address is not speed but speed endurance.

If I could only do one session, I would pick a threshold session and progress to 30-36mins continuous over a cycle, 2nd I would add form work, strides, short hill bounds, plyo type work and finally I would add intervals, which should be specific to your target distance, example for 5k start off with 12 x 400 and build up to 3-4 x 1mile all at race pace over a 6 week period, something like this.

12 x 400m with 60 secs jog rec
8 x 600m with 75 secs jog rec
6 x 800m with 90 secs jog rec
4-6 x 1000m with 2 mins jog rec
4-5 x 1200m with 2.5 mins jog rec
2-4 x 1600m with 3 mins jog rec

Thanks so you're gradually increasing the distance of each interval and the recovery increases in line with that. I can see the logic

Goose76

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will try and do tonight's session at 5k pace and see how I get on.

I struggle with intervals sometimes as I either blow myself out too early by going way faster than 5k pace and then I can't complete the session, or I feel I don't go hard enough and end up feeling like it was a wasted session at the end.

FYI I'm following the '10 K Time Improver Plan' from Irish Runner magazine December 2017 edition

ewc78

Staying in Cork next week for work and looking for a running route. Will be staying in the Radisson which is a bit outside the city I think located just off a dual carriage way.
Anyone know that area that could recommend a route?

Kellygirl

ewc78 wrote: »

Staying in Cork next week for work and looking for a running route. Will be staying in the Radisson which is a bit outside the city I think located just off a dual carriage way.
Anyone know that area that could recommend a route?

What distance are you looking for?

I assume if you are staying there you will have a car so I’d prob drive to Blackrock Castle and there’s a lovely loop there and you can repeat it or make it as big as you like using the marina or more. I have quite a number plotted and saved on Google pedometer if you like. Bit more scenic than where you are staying though others may have some routes round there that i’m Not aware of.

I’m having trouble attaching a pic of the map from my iPad right now for some reason.